KU LI BLOWS WITH WIND, VOWS TO VOTE AGAINST HADI’S HUDUD BILL BUT ONLY IF IT’S ‘UNCONSTITUTIONAL’
KUALA LUMPUR — Kelantan prince and Umno MP Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah expressed shock today after learning of Barisan Nasional’s (BN) plans to table amendments to the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act similarly to PAS..
The Gua Musang MP also confirmed that Umno and the rest of the ruling coalition had never discussed such a move before, much less reach a consensus to do so.
“I didn’t know. I didn’t know. This is the first time I’m hearing it,” he told the media after launching a book on Umno here.
“Maybe? I didn’t know,” he added when told that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic affairs Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said on Thursday the government is working on its own revisions.
“No,” he replied again when asked if the matter was ever discussed among his party before.
‘NO’ TO ANY UNCONSTITUTIONAL BILL
Meanwhile, according to Malaysiakini:
Veteran Umno lawmaker Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said today he will vote against any bill in Parliament that contains provisions that go against the Federal Constitution.
This stand, Tengku Razaleigh said, is in line with the oath he had taken as a parliamentarian to protect and uphold the provisions of the Federal Constitution.
“If brought to Parliament, if it is consonent with provisions and the various articles of the constitution, I will support it.
“But if it is against any part of the constitution or not in line with the constitution, I will vote against it,” the Gua Musang MP said during the launch of a book of essays on Umno at the Royal Lake Club in Kuala Lumpur.
He said this in response to a question from the floor on how he would vote on PAS’ president Abdul Hadi Awang’s controversial ‘Hudud Bill’ to strengthen the enforcement of syariah laws.
When met later, Tengku Razaleigh said he is not aware of any plan by the BN to amend Act 355 or the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act.
“I didn’t know. I didn’t know. This is the first time I’m hearing it,” he said.
“I don’t know,” he added when told that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic Affairs, Jamil Khir Baharom, announced last Thursday that the government is working on its own revision to the Act.
Tengku Razaleigh also denied that the matter has ever been discussed within Umno in the past.
Critics have raised concerns that Hadi’s motion could pave way for the implementation of hudud, the Islamic penal system.
The motion is number five on the Order Paper, but is not likely to be heard as debates starting this week would focus on Budget 2017, which was tabled last Friday.
MALAY MAIL / MKINI
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Contributer : Malaysia Chronicle http://ift.tt/2eZcloT
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